Daily Gospel for Monday, 23 June 2014"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.'"(John 6:68)
Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Saints of the Day:
SAINT ETHELDREDA
Abbess
(7th century)
This happiness was but short-lived; for Egfrid, the powerful King of Northumbria, pressed his suit upon her with such eagerness that she was forced into a second marriage. Her life at his court was that of an ascetic rather than a queen: she lived with him not as a wife but as a sister, and, observing a scrupulous regularity of discipline, devoted her time to works of mercy and love.
After twelve years, she retired with her husband's consent to Coldingham Abbey, which was then under the rule of St. Ebba, and received the veil from the hands of St. Wilfrid. As soon as Etheldreda had left the court of her husband, he repented of having consented to her departure, and followed her, meaning to bring her back by force. She took refuge on a headland on the coast near Coldingham; and here a miracle took place, for the waters forced themselves a passage round the hill, barring the further advance of Egfrid.
The Saint remained on this island refuge for seven days, till the king, recognizing the divine will, agreed to leave her in peace. God, who by a miracle confirmed the Saint's vocation, will not fail us if, with a single heart, we elect for him.
In 672 she returned to Ely, and founded there a double monastery. The nunnery she governed herself, and was by her example a living rule of perfection to her sisters.
Some time after her death, in 679, her body was found incorrupt, and St. Bede records many miracles worked by her relics.
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
Saint Liebert
Feastday: June 23
Death: 1076
Bishop-founder of Cambrai, France, sometimes called Liebert or Leitbert. He was a noble who became bishop in 1051. In 1054, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, discovering that the holy city was in the hands of Saracens. Returning to Cambrai, Libert built the church and monastery of the Holy Sepulcher. He was exiled by the nobleman Hugh of Cambrai and cruelly persecuted.Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
2nd book of Kings 17:5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 7 It was so because the children of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8 and walked in the statutes of the nations whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they made.
13 Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” 14 Notwithstanding, they would not listen, but hardened their neck, like the neck of their fathers, who didn’t believe in Yahweh their God. 15 They rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified to them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom Yahweh had commanded them that they should not do like them.
18 Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
Psalms 60:3 You have shown your people hard things.
You have made us drink the wine that makes us stagger.
4 You have given a banner to those who fear you,
that it may be displayed because of the truth.
Selah.
5 So that your beloved may be delivered,
save with your right hand, and answer us.
12 Through God we shall do valiantly,
for it is he who will tread down our adversaries.
13 Give us aid against the foe;
worthless is human help.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the Day:
The Imitation of Christ, spiritual treatise of the 15th century
Book II, ch. 3
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged."
You are very good at excusing and whitewashing your own behaviour, but you will not allow your neighbour's excuses. You might more fairly accuse yourself and excuse your brother.
If you wish to be borne, then bear.
Look how far you are, even now, from true and lowly love, which knows no anger nor indignation except against itself.
It is no great thing to live with the good and the docile; everyone naturally likes to do so - just as we are all delighted to live in peace with friends who share our views.
But if you can live at peace with harsh, wayward, unbridled disputatious folk; this is a great grace, and a manly achievement worthy of all praise...
The greater skill in suffering, the greater peace. Here is the conqueror of self, the lord of the world, the friend of Christ, heaven's heir.
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